EUGENE — Whichever direction the season ends up going for the Oregon Ducks, they owe a big thanks to Patrick Chung for getting it started on the right foot.

On the same afternoon several loose-betting Appalachian State alums could have gleefully retired after their upset at Michigan, Chung, a 6-foot, 210-pound defensive back made a brilliant pick that may have saved the Ducks from an embarrassing loss at home in their season-opener against Houston.

With less than seven minutes left in the third quarter and the Cougars threatening to break a 20-20 tie at Oregon’s 10-yard line, Chung jumped his receiver’s route and intercepted Case Keenum in the end zone.

“We had to make a play,” Chung said afterward. “I can’t read the future, so I don’t know what would’ve happened if I hadn’t. But they were taking control, and we needed to step up.”

Although Chung’s play came nowhere near the end of the game, it proved to be the day’s biggest play for Oregon. With it, the Ducks broke Houston’s back and rolled away to a 41-27 win capped with 14 unanswered points.

Chung’s pick was one of three red zone turnovers on the day for the Cougars.

“It was a huge play for us,” Oregon coach Mike Bellotti said. “It allowed us to pull away.

“I’m proud of the way our team played today. It wasn’t perfect, but we have a lot to take in terms of learning from this game.”

It’s still far too early to predict how Oregon will fare in 2007, but as long as the defense continues making big plays in the second half like Chung’s, the Ducks should at least have a decent year.

It’s not exactly a ground-breaking revelation — make plays; Ducks win; repeat — but it fits Oregon well judging by last year.

The Ducks simply struggled with mental toughness in 2006 when they dropped six of their final nine games to finish a disappointing 7-6.

Defensive breakdowns were common during that lull, which started with a 21-point thrashing at California. Oregon entered that game ranked 11th in the nation but lost all focus after Cal raced to a 28-3 lead in the second quarter.

The Ducks fell 45-24 while their season fell into obscurity.

“I think the way last year ended fueled some thought about what we need to do differently this year,” Bellotti said at this year’s Pacific-10 Conference media day in July.

For starters, UO could work on taking the initiative offensively.

With the exception of a 30-28 defeat in the Civil War game, the Ducks never led in any of their losses, which came by an average of almost 22.8 points. They included a 34-23 upset at Washington State; a nationally-television 35-10 thumping at Southern California; and a 27-point route versus Arizona — at Autzen Stadium of all places.

The Ducks limped into the Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl in no shape mentally to handle Brigham Young and again fell big — this time 38-8.

“We lost some games last year, that we probably should have won,” said quarterback Dennis Dixon, who had three touchdowns and 141 all-purpose yards against Houston. “Offensively, we needed to work on finishing games.”

Oregon had little problem doing that Saturday, granted against a team that surrendered 23.5 points a game last year while mainly playing non-Bowl Championship Series conference teams.

In other words, it wasn’t against Michigan.

The Ducks admit they face a tougher challenge Saturday when they meet the newly unranked Wolverines at the Big House. It comes a week after Michigan became the first ranked Football Bowl Subdivision (Division-I) team to lose to a Football Championship Subdivision (I-AA) program.

“A loss like that to a team like Appalachian State is going to have them looking for redemption,” Oregon linebacker John Bacon said. “They’re going to bring their best game, so we’re going to have to bring ours.”

Saturday is as much a statement game for the entire Michigan team as it for the Ducks defensive unit, which surrendered 205 yards rushing to Houston’s Anthony Alridge — a far cry from Michigan’s Mike Hart. While Oregon’s defense was on roller skates, its offense was out-gained 545 to 473 in net yards.

“The biggest thing, well, the biggest thing is we’re going to have to do better on defense this week,” Bellotti said. “Michigan is still Michigan, and they’re offense is anything but easy to stop. We’re going to have to play with more intensity and follow our assignments.”

In light of how last season unfolded in the wake of the self-destructing Cal loss, much is a stake for Oregon come Saturday. It’s another shot at a big win against a respected program on national television — a feat they twice missed out on last year against the Golden Bears and USC. More importantly, however, Saturday is a chance for Oregon to take its biggest step from 2006 both physically and mentally.

And all it may take is one big play.